Is buying Used Bottles good?

The truth about babies is that they require careful handling and this causes parents to worry about how to take care of them. They’re very fragile and it is incumbent on parents to handle them with care, note their different routines, and how they react to various items. Some babies react badly to used items while some don’t. This is when you ask questions like is buying used bottles safe for my baby? Can I buy used cribs? Etc.

Financially, not all parents are buoyant enough to buy new stuff for their baby. And some think there’s no need for buying new baby things if some old items are in good condition. However, most parents are always in doubt about what to use for their babies that won’t pose a risk to their health.

It is at this moment that the question of buying used baby items come in; they ask, can I buy used bottles? Can I buy a used mattress? Used cribs? At least, this will be cheap and I’ll save a lot of money.

Furthermore, as much as it looks danger-free for you to be buying used bottles for your babies, it also has some side effects. Although, you may think it is just baby bottles, right? Yes, it is. But it doesn’t work that way. Most times, you have to know some things before you buy used bottles. This article will enlighten you on what you should know about used bottles and if it can pose a risk to your baby’s health.

Moving on, bottles can be categorized into plastic, glass, and disposables. Now, let’s see the advantages and disadvantages of these categories and the best one to use for your baby.

Categories of Baby Bottles

Plastics

Pros of using plastic bottles

• Easy to handle
• Strong
• Doesn’t break easily.

Cons of using plastic bottles

• May not last long like glass
• May have a chemical called “Bisphenol A” which is used to harden the plastic.

Glass

Pros of using a Glass bottle

• Last for a very long time.
• Can be boiled for a thorough clean
• Doesn’t contain BPA

Cons Of using Glass Bottle

• Shatters easily
• Has more weight than a plastic bottle.

Disposable

Pros of using a disposable bottle

• Presence of a sterilized liner disposable after each feeding.
• Easy to wash and clean.

Cons of using a disposable bottle

•   More expensive than plastic and glass bottles
•   The liners may not suitable for the environment
•   You will need an unlimited supply of liners which are expensive.

Regardless of the categories of bottles, the question remains “should you buy used bottles?” The answer is “Yes”. You can buy used bottles as long as it is free of Bisphenol A and you replace the teat or nipples. This is because BPA is linked to health problems like cancer, diabetes, and other heart disease. However, when buying used bottles, look out for the following;

1)           Make sure it isn’t cracked or scratched as BPA may have leaked into it.

2)           Unless it is a glass bottle, you may not know if it BPA free or not. Well, BPA has been banned by the FDA since 2012 so bottle manufacturers have stopped using it but some old ones might still have it, so be careful.

Now, to take maximum precaution when buying bottles, whether new or old, know how to identify BPA free bottles and bottles with BPA. Below are the ways to know bottles with or without Bisphenol-A.

1. A transparent bottle with a honey-colored tinge has high scratch resistance, and it is BPA free.
2. Baby bottles that are cloudy with low scratch resistance are also BPA free.
3. A transparent bottle with high scratch resistance is also known to be BPA free.
4. A polycarbonate bottle with high scratch resistance contains BPA.

The above tips will enable you to examine the bottles you’re about to purchase and to choose the best for you and your baby.

You should know that there are some items you should never buy the old or used ones while there are some other items that you can buy the used one. When you have the money for a new one, you can go for it. Here are items you should never purchase if it is not new.

1)    Cribs

You should not buy used cribs as some might contain bugs and body fluids that can cause serious health problems to your baby.

2)    Bottle teat or nipples

As seen above, you can buy used bottles and just sterilize them before use but on no occasion should you buy used nipples as the silicone deteriorates easily, and changing it regularly is seriously advised.

3)    Car seats

The safety technology of car seats changes almost every year, so it is important you just buy a new one instead of a used one that can pose a risk to your baby.

Here are items that you can get the used ones or reuse the old ones:

1. Baby clothes
2. Baby Shoes
3. Baby toys
4. Baby coats
5. Baby hats
6. Baby tubs
7. Changing tables
8. Rocking chairs
9. Strollers etc.

In addition, most of these items can be reused because babies will outgrow most of them easily so it will save you a lot of money to reuse the used or old ones.

Is buying used bottles a good thing?

Buying used bottles isn’t a completely bad thing to do, especially if you want quality bottles for your baby, but you don’t have enough money to buy them. What matters is getting a BPA free bottle and changing the bottle nipple to a new one. When you’re low on money and you think about buying used items for your baby, endeavor to employ all that was discussed above as this will help you make the right decisions and will also save your baby from serious health problems.

Additionally, you can go for new baby bottles. They are quite affordable and you can even get them for free.